


new lead

by horsetrackhiggs



Category: Tuck Everlasting - Miller/Tysen/Shear & Federle
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 08:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7567039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horsetrackhiggs/pseuds/horsetrackhiggs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>hugo's got a bit of a gay feelin' and he's gonna follow his gut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	new lead

hugo knew he should be listening to what his father was saying, making sure winnie was alright and overall just not staring at the blond boy with big eyes as if he’s never seen another person in his life.

but at least it seemed that the boy was staring back. he wasn’t looking at winnie or his father, or even his own family. just hugo, no glancing around to the others.

so hugo decided the proper thing to do was give the other boy a smile, shy and lasting.

jesse, hugo thinks his name is, ducks his head down quickly, rubbing his hands together nervously.

there is a quick exchange of goodbyes, broken voices but no tears before the older man takes winnie by the hand and begins to lead her home.

hugo’s hands are trembling as he questions the family. the eldest son made him very anxious. harsh stare, arms folded over his chest, grave voice. sad eyes, though, hugo put in his notes for some reason. truly sad eyes he had.

the mother and father excuse themselves before hugo can even ask anything, but he doesn’t try to stop them. his handbook always tells him too, but he really doesn’t have that kind of authority, he means, he’s just 17, big dreams or not. and he’s pretty sure the extremely grumpy and tall man would have his head if he tried.

fuck, hugo totally just said all of that out loud and the man is fuming but the much much much shorter boy starts laughing, well more like an absolute screech.

“miles, oh my lord miles!” he laughs, and the older one, miles, is red as he marches off, mumbling under his breath, but not before he gives his brother a loud smack to the shoulder.

hugo’s holding his breath until the blond shoves his hand forward.

“don’t mind miles, he’s a bit of a stick in the mud, if ya know what i mean.” he states matter-of-factly. “the name’s jesse tuck.” his voice cracks a bit, seeing as he just created so many problems doing the exact same thing with winnie. he just shrugs to himself, knowing he’ll never learn.

“uh, hugo jackson.” he grins, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. and then things get, weird? one could say, they both guess. it’s like their hands are just frozen mid-air. this isn’t how someone is supposed to deal with a witness, he’s supposed to be assertive yet kind, keep it professional yet personal, and basically trick them into giving you the information he needs with charm and wit.

but hugo’s at a loss for words and jesse, unlike his brother, has excited eyes, which just happened to be ungodly pretty.

“are you thirsty?” jesse ‘impulsive’ tuck asks as soon as the contact is gone. “i mean, i uh, mean, do you want to be unthirsy with me?”

“you mean get a drink?” hugo questions, shifting from foot to foot, eyes stuck looking at an odd rock.

“yeah, yeah that. a drink. you and me.” he sighs, smile spreading across his face as hugo simply nods.

personal space is just not something that exists on the walk to the coffee shop. shoulders pressed together, hands brushing at a constant. at one point hugo stepped on jesse’s shoe lace, which left him to slightly tumble into a bench. the brown haired boy went bright red, apologies spewing from his mouth at high speed. jesse just laughed loudly, hopping back up.

they drink in awkward silence, feet bumping together under the table, stolen glances.

hugo follows jesse into a sweetshop. they end up holding hands because the immortal boy kept stealing taste tests of candy that definitely weren’t for sampling, and hugo was tired of swatting his hand away. jesse did, however, leave with a bag full thanks to the brown haired boy, who simply said it was to still say sorry for tripping him on accident. jesse just laughed, popping a piece into his mouth and offering one to hugo, who of course accepted.

“it’s getting dark out now.” hugo mumbles, and jesse frowns.

“come on, hugo! let’s just chew the rug a bit longer, don’t ya wanna?”

“gee, jesse, don’t give a guy much choice, do you?” he laughs, and the blond’s smile just grows.

“only the real good lookers!”

hugo finds himself going red yet again that day.

their hands are still clasped as jesse talks and talk and talks, hugo slowly moving them both towards his favorite spot.

the blond is confusing when he’s pulled onto a porch.

“it’s my grandparents. was, i mean.” hugo explains, jesse standing on the steps silently as the other plops down on a wooden swing. “my grandmother died 4 years ago, and my grandfather last year. my father’s saving the house for when i have my own family.” he states, patting the seat next to him, and jesse sits down, much closer to hugo than he probably needed too.

“it’s nice.” jesse says plainly. “i’d be lucky to raise a family here, not that i’ll be able, ha.” he slips up, and hugo’s got a concerned look on his face.

“why would you say that?” he questions, hand going to jesse’s knee who automatically tenses up.

“oh ya know, just don’t think someone, would uh, ever wanna settle down with me, see?” he gives hugo a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, and hugo just sighs, leaning away some.

it’s silent, and jesse nervously starts playing with his hands.

“i’d do it.” hugo says slowly, deep breath let out after as if he had been holding it.

jesse turns so he’s facing the other more, eyebrows furrowed. “what do ya mean, hugo?”

the aspiring deputy opens his mouth to respond but just shuts it instead. he stares at jesse for a good, long moment before surging forward to press their lips together.

for the first time since jesse fell from the tree, he was shocked, surprised and pleased to the core. he gives into himself for a minutes, placing one hand on hugo’s leg and the other on his shoulder.

they part, and jesse begins to speak but is cut off as soon as he says the other’s name.

“like, okay, jesse, hear me out. so my book! yeah my handbook says to follow every lead to the very end, no matter how, uh, small it seems? because you’ll always get something out of it, there’s always a clue, or well, yeah. it just doesn’t hurt to check them all out because nothing is not important and, like of course i know this is about solving crime and not kissing boys you just met, but in my head it works for both.” hugo rambles, voice cracking. his eyes are watering a bit, hands shaking as he takes jesse’s into his own.

jesse feels his heart break. “hugo, i-i can’t…” he mumbles, looking away from the other boy, who shrinks in on himself, and away from the blond.

“oh, fuck, i, shit, god i didn’t mean that.” he takes in a deep breath. “it’s just that, i’ve had a girlfriend before, i’m no expert but it just seemed– god you probably don’t even like boys. and if you did you wouldn’t like me, shit, agh, fuck, gosh sorry! please don’t tell anyone, i’m begging you. i don’t, i don’t want to get beat up or like, like killed! i hear that happens in other towns to boys who–“

the immortal boy decides it’s a lot easier to just say ‘fuck it’ when it’s hugo, because he’s kissing him again even though he knows miles would kill him if he knew.

for the rest of the night, they stay like that. huddled close together, soft words and sweet kisses shared. neither have ever felt this overwhelmed with warmth and something else jesse chose to ignore for his own benefit, but hugo wasn’t able too.

the next morning, hugo’s shaken awake by his not too happy father. he drags hugo home, and he never explains what he was doing all night.

the aging boy cries from time to time if he thinks about that night. it’s a sinking feeling in his chest that doesn’t go away for a few years.

jesse never cries over hugo, or winnie for that fact. it’s always just hot tears welling up in his eyes that he wipes away before they fall.

that is, until decades later, he finds himself in front of two graves. it’s the most honest thing jesse has ever meant when he says he’s happy that they ended up together and lived a full life with one another. his love for them will never fade, and he hopes they both knew.

miles places a hand on his brother’s shoulder and offers him a sad smile. not a second later jesse’s pulled him into a tight hug, which the taller one quickly reciprocates.

the tuck family says their goodbyes, and jesse’s fingers linger on hugo’s grave a bit longer than they should have.

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this for a friend dont think too much into the fact that it exists its not that deep im just gay as hell
> 
> talk to me on tumblr @ miserysucculent


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